Friendship

[noazmale]

CHARMED
"Friendship"
by J. B. Tilton
email: [e-mail]
Rating: K

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: this story takes place between the season 1 episodes "Love Hurts" and "Déjà vu All Over Again".)

* * *

The ghost of a very powerful warlock burned at the stake three hundred years ago befriends a neophyte witch. He then convinces her to steal the Book of Shadows for a special ritual that will bring him back from the dead.

* * *

PREFACE

Sara Warren finished her homework and laid the books on her bed. She hated history. She couldn't understand why she had to learn about things that had happened hundreds of years ago. What difference did it make now?

She walked over to the bureau and looked at herself in the mirror. Another four years before she would be on her own. Four years before she could get away from her parents who just didn't understand her.

Suddenly, Sara saw the reflection of a man who simply faded in behind her. She turned to face him. He was slightly transparent and she could see her bed through him. And he glowed. His clothes reminded her of the clothes the pilgrims had worn.

"Don't be afraid, Sara," said the man. "I'm not going to harm you."

"Who . . . what are you?" stammered Sara.

"My name is Marcus Warren," said the spirit. "I'm one of your ancestors."

"You're a ghost," said Sara. "What do you want with me?"

"I want to help you, Sara," said Marcus. "I want to help you understand who and what you are. And why you have your special gift."

"You know about that?" asked Sara. "I haven't even told my parents about it."

"And that's good," said Marcus. "They wouldn't understand. Sara, you're a witch. Just as I was many years ago. That's why you have your gift."

"A witch?" questioned Sara. "How can I be a witch? I don't know anything about that kind of stuff."

"True witches are born that way," said Marcus. "But you must learn to use your powers properly."

"Powers?" asked Sara. "You mean I have more power than just what I can do?"

"Yes," said Marcus, "you have a great deal of power. More than you realize right now. I can teach you to use your powers, Sara. But you must help me first. Evil witches murdered me. Witches who wanted to steal my power. With your help, I can correct that."

"How?" asked Sara.

"With an ancient ritual," said Marcus. "You can use it to bring me back to life. Then, I can teach you everything you need to know about using your powers."

"I don't know how to do that," said Sara.

"I can teach you how to do it," said Marcus. "It's not very complicated. And once I've taught you how to use your powers, you'll never have to hide your power again."

"I'm afraid," said Sara.

"I know," said Marcus. "Most witches are when they first learn what they are. But with my help, you'll never be afraid again. You'll never be afraid of anyone or anything again."

"Well, okay," said Sara. "What do I have to do?"

"First," said Marcus, "you can never tell anyone about me. I can only appear to you. No one would believe you if you told them."

"Okay," said Sara. "They'd just think I was crazy anyway."

"Fine, fine," said Marcus. "Now, there is one thing I need you to do. It's a little dangerous, but with your gift, it should be easy."

"What is it?" asked Sara.

"A few blocks from here live three evil witches," said Marcus. "They have a book you will need. It is necessary that you get that book from them."

"What if I get caught?" asked Sara. "They might kill me or something."

"No, they won't," said Marcus. "Evil witches will want to take your gift from you. But not until it's gotten more powerful. Besides, if you're very careful, you won't get caught."

"I don't know," said Sara. "Stealing doesn't sound like something a good witch would do."

"Stealing from evil witches," said Marcus. "It will weaken their power. You'd actually be helping to protect innocent people. That can't be bad, can it?"

"Well, I guess not," said Sara.

"Good," said Marcus. "Now, once you have the book, we can get the other things you need for the ritual. After that, I'll show you how to use your powers to protect other people and yourself."

"Okay," said Sara.

"Here's how you get the book without getting caught by the evil witches," said Marcus.

[elderess]

marcus is evil,right? Post more soon!

[noazmale]

ONE

Prue came into the manor and closed the door behind her. She looked round the entryway, finally locating what she was looking for. She walked over and picked up a file folder off the table.

"I can't believe I forgot this," she said to herself. "Clair would kill me if I forgot to bring in this inventory today."

She turned to leave the manor when she heard a noise in the kitchen. She knew the manor was empty. Piper hadn't gotten home from Quake yet. And Phoebe had borrowed her car. She had gone to pick Piper up.

Prue put here keys and the folder down quietly on the table. Cautiously, she moved to the kitchen door. She slowly pushed the door open a crack and peered into the kitchen.

A young girl was on her knees, going through one of the cabinets. She appeared to be looking for something. Prue moved quietly into the kitchen and stood behind the girl.

"Find what you're looking for?" asked Prue suddenly.

The startled girl looked around and saw Prue standing behind her. She stood up and looked at Prue.

"You're not supposed to be home," said the girl.

"I live here," said Prue. "Care to explain what you're doing here? And just how you got into a locked house?"

The girl looked around nervously. Suddenly she bolted past Prue, heading for the living room. Prue reached out and grabbed the girls' arm.

"Oh no you don't," said Prue. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers from you."

Suddenly, Prues' hand just passed through the girls' arm. The girl didn't hesitate. She ran for the door to the living room and simply passed through the door as if it wasn't there. Prue quickly followed, opening the door to follow the girl. As she moved out of the kitchen, she saw the girl standing in the entryway. The girl was watching as Piper and Phoebe came in the front door.

"Hello?" questioned Phoebe. "Who are you?"

"Piper," hollered Prue, "stop her."

Confused, Piper raised her hands and used her power to freeze the girl. Except the girl didn't freeze. Instead, she turned and headed directly toward Piper and Phoebe. The two sisters reached out to grab the girl, but all they grabbed was air. The girl passed through them as if they were made of smoke. She ran out the front door and headed across the yard.

Prue reached the door in time to see the girl disappear around the hedges. By the time Prue got to the corner of the hedges, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Prue turned and went back to the manor.

"What was that, a ghost?" asked Phoebe.

"She was solid enough in the kitchen," said Prue. "She was going through the cabinets. Like she was looking for something."

"She's not ghost," said Piper. "I recognize her. She lives about three blocks down."

"So what was she looking for?" asked Prue.

"And you couldn't freeze her," added Phoebe.

"Which means she's a good witch," said Piper. "That ability to pass through solid matter must be her power."

"Handy little ability," said Phoebe.

"Piper, Phoebe," said Prue, picking up her keys and the folder, "I have a meeting I can't miss. If I do, Clair's going to fire me on the spot."

"You go," said Piper. "I'll go talk to our little uninvited guest and see what's going on with her. If we need you, we'll call."

"Thanks," said Prue. "Let me know what you find out."

"Want me to go with you?" asked Phoebe, after Prue had left.

"No," said Piper. "She looked scared. I don't want her to think we're ganging up on her."

"Okay," said Phoebe.

"I'll be back in a while," said Piper.

* * *

Sara sat on the swing on her back porch. She was scared. The evil witches had caught her. She didn't know what to do. They would surely come for her. She couldn't go to her parents. They'd never understand. She had called for Marcus, but he hadn't come.

"Can I talk to you?"

Startled, Sara jumped up from the swing. She turned to see Piper standing at the corner of the house. She looked around nervously for any means of escape.

"No, no, I'm not going to hurt you," said Piper. "I just want to talk to you.

"What about?" asked Sara. "About my being in your house earlier?"

"My name is Piper," said Piper. "And, yes, I am interested in knowing what you were doing in my house."

"Nothing," said Sara. "I, uh, I was just looking around. I didn't mean any harm, honestly."

"That's a pretty bracelet," said Piper, noticing the gold bracelet studded with ruby chips on Sara's wrist.

"It was a birthday gift from my parents," said Sara. "Ruby is my birthstone."

"What's your name?" asked Piper.

"Sara," said Sara. "Sara Warren."

"One of my ancestors was named Warren," said Piper. "Her name was Melinda. We might be related in some way."

"I . . . I won't go in your house again," said Sara. "I didn't take anything."

"Actually," said Piper, "I really wanted to talk to you about how you got out of the house."

Sara stiffened. She knew it. This evil witch had come to kill her and steal her powers. Just as Marcus had said she would.

"You're probably a bit confused about it," said Piper. "I was when I got my powers."

"Your powers?" questioned Sara.

Piper looked around. She noticed a bee hovering over a flower in the backyard. She reached out with here power and the bee froze in midair.

"I can freeze things," said Piper. "I'm a witch. Just as you are. That's where your power comes from."

"I haven't had it long," said Sara. "Only a few months, actually."

"Sara, there's more to being a witch than just your ability," said Piper. "My sisters are also witches. When we first got our powers, we had no one to teach us about them. We didn't know any other witches. But you don't have to go through that. We can teach you how to use your powers. The longer you have them, the stronger they'll grow."

"Hello," said a woman, coming out the back door of the house. "I'm Melissa, Sara's mother. Sara, who is your friend?"

Sara froze. She had no idea what to say. Or just how much her mother had heard.

[noazmale]

TWO

"My name is Piper Halliwell," said Piper, shaking the woman's hand. "I live a couple of blocks up the street."

"You're a little older than most of Sara's friends," said Melissa.

"Actually," said Piper, "I only met Sara this morning. We were talking and when she learned I was a chef at Quake, she expressed an interest in learning how to become a chef."

"My husband and I have eaten there a couple of times," said Melissa. "The food is very good."

"Thank you," said Prue. "Anyway, I offered to teach Sara what I know. I just stopped by to see if she was still interested."

"Sara, I didn't know you were interested in being a chef," said Melissa.

"Maybe," said Sara. "I was just kind of curious, I guess."

"Well, she's a pretty good cook already," said Melissa. "I taught her how to cook. But I'm sure there's more to being a chef than just cooking."

"Quite a bit more," said Piper. "If you have no objections, I'd be glad to teach Sara how to use her talent. If she's interested in learning what I have to teach her."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with her schoolwork," said Melissa, "I don't mind. Honey, are you interested in learning from Miss Halliwell?"

"Piper, please," said Piper.

"I guess so," said Sara. "At least I could find out if it's something I want to do."

"Good," said Piper. "She can come by the house two or three days a week. I'll teach her everything I can."

"I'm glad to see she's got an interest in something," said Melissa. "Piper, it was nice to meet you."

"Same here," said Piper.

"Thanks," said Sara, after her mother had gone back into the house, "for not saying anything about my being in your house."

"That's okay," said Piper. "I kind of figured you hadn't told your mother about your ability. I didn't see any sense in complicating matters."

"Thanks all the same," said Sara.

“Come by the manor tomorrow," said Piper. "We'll start your training then."

"Okay," said Sara.

* * *

"What do you mean they caught you?" asked Marcus, that night in Sara's room.

"They came home while I was there," said Sara. "One of them came to see me a little while later. She said she wanted to train me to use my power."

"So that your power will grow more quickly, no doubt," said Marcus.

"I don't want to go," said Sara. "They'll just kill me and steal my power. You said so."

"Not for several months they won't," said Marcus. "They won't want your power until it's fully developed. That's going to take time. The ritual will be completed long before then. After that, I can protect you from them."

"What do I do now?" asked Sara.

"Do as the evil witch suggested," said Marcus. "It will give you the chance to learn where they keep the Book of Shadows. Until they're ready to take your power, they'll pretend to be your best friends. You have nothing to fear from them for the time being."

"I'm scared," said Sara.

"The sooner the ritual is completed," said Marcus, "the sooner I can protect you. They will also have some of the other items needed for the ritual. I need you to be strong, Sara. It will only be a couple of days longer."

"I'll try," said Sara. "But I'm still scared."

"Trust me," said Marcus. "I would never ask you to do anything that would put you into any danger."

"Okay," said Sara.

"Now, get something to write with," said Marcus. "I'll give you a list of what you need for the ritual."

* * *

When Sara arrived at the manor the next day, she was very nervous. Despite Marcus' assurances, she still wasn't sure what these evil witches would do. At least she still had her gift. If they tried anything, she'd be able to get away from them.

All three sisters were very nice to her. Just as Marcus had predicted. They talked at great length about their powers. And of all the things they had learned since they had become witches.

They were very convincing. Talking about vanquishing demons and protecting the innocent. No doubt to put her off her guard so she would begin to trust them. That would make it easier to steal her powers when the time was right. Finally, Piper took Sara to the attic.

"This is the Book of Shadows," said Piper. "We learn a lot about demons and other things we have to fight from this."

"Will I get one of these?" asked Sara.

"I don't know," said Piper. "This has been compiled by generations of Halliwell witches. That's why we have it."

"There's a lot of ugly things in here," said Sara, flipping through the pages.

"Yes, there are," said Piper. "There's a lot of evil in the world. It's important that you don't bother this book. It can be very dangerous."

"Okay, if you say so," said Sara.

"Well, I think that's enough for today," said Piper. "We don't want to overdo it your first day. The next time, I'll start teaching you about potion ingredients. And maybe Phoebe can start teaching you about writing spells."

"I can do my own spells?" asked Sara.

"Yes," said Phoebe, "but you have to be very careful with them. You can't use your powers for personal gain. You have them so you can help others. When you start abusing them, things can get out of hand real quick."

"I'll try to remember that," said Sara.

"Good," said Piper. "Spend a couple of days digesting what you've learned all ready. Then we can get started on other things."

"Okay," said Sara. "I'll see you in a couple of days."

* * *

"So, you've found the Book of Shadows," said Marcus that night.

"Yes," said Sara. "They keep it in the attic. It's filled with all kinds of demons and things like that."

"Of course it is," said Marcus. "All the evil creatures that do their evil bidding. Now that you know where the book is, you'll be able to get it easily.

"But first you will need to meet me in a field on the edge of town. We must gather the rest of the items for the ritual. It won't be long now. Soon, I will be able to teach you all that I know. Then you'll never need to fear anyone again."

[noazmale]

THREE

Sara put the last of the wood on the pile she had just collected. The stack of wood would make a large bonfire. Marcus said it was an integral part of the ritual.

"That's hard work," said Sara, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"I know," said Marcus. "I wish I could have helped but unfortunately I'm unable to touch anything physical. But it is quite necessary, I assure you. The rest of it will be quite easy. Did you bring the box?"

Sara reached into her backpack pulled out a small jewelry box. She showed it to Marcus.

"Made out of pine, just like you said," said Sara. "It's one of my moms' jewelry boxes. She had it packed away in the attic."

"Excellent," said Marcus. "What of the other items I told you about?"

"I got the candles," said Sara, "and the salt. You said the egg had to be fresh, so I thought I'd get it just before I do the ritual. I couldn't find a knife made out of silver. I checked my moms' good silverware, but it's actually gold plated."

"Not a knife, child," said Marcus, "an athame. There is quite a difference. No matter though. You should be able to get one when you get the book. I'm quite sure the witches will have a silver ceremonial dagger. Now, there are two more items to get. It may be a bit distasteful so you will need to be strong. Come with me."

Marcus led Sara to a small hill several yards from the woodpile. When they got there, Sara could just make out the outline of an entrance that appeared to be sealed over.

"A short distance inside this hill," said Marcus, "is a small cave. You will need to use your power to get to it. It's been sealed for more than a century. I will meet you inside."

Sara concentrated, and then stepped into the hill. Within seconds she stepped into a chamber carved from the earth itself. The glow from Marcus' spectral form cast an eerie light throughout the small cave.

The air was heavy inside the cave. Sara found it a bit difficult to breathe. Sitting on the floor in the center of the cave was a large wooden box, some six feet long. It looked to be centuries old.

"What's that?" asked Sara.

"My coffin," said Marcus. "I had it moved here from the east coast some time ago. To hide my remains from my enemies."

"Eww, a coffin?" questioned Sara. "That's gross."

"Here's where you must be strong," said Marcus. "I need to you reach inside the coffin and remove one of my bones. It doesn't matter which one."

"Oh, gross," said Sara. "I can't do that."

"Yes you can," said Marcus. "You need not open the coffin. Close your eyes and simply reach inside. Pull out the first thing you touch. After all these centuries all that's left are bones anyway. You must hurry. The air in this cave won't last much longer."

Sara closed her eyes and turned her head away from the coffin. She pushed her hand inside the coffin and felt around. At first, she didn't feel anything. Then she touched what felt like a small pile of sticks. She grabbed one of the sticks and then quickly jerked her hand out of the coffin. She opened here hand to reveal a small bone, just over one inch long.

"Very good," said Marcus, smiling. "An index finger, if I'm not mistaken."

"This is so gross," said Sara.

"But necessary," said Marcus. "Now, only one item left to get."

He moved over to the back wall of the cave. The wall had a small ledge on which sat a small metal box. The box appeared to be locked.

"You'll need what's inside this box," said Marcus.

"What's in there?" asked Sara. "Your heart? I read the Egyptians used to do that. Take out the internal organs and put them in jars or something inside the grave."

"No, no," said Marcus, "nothing like that. This box simply contains a ring. A family heirloom, you might say. You just need to reach inside the box and remove the ring."

Sara did as he instructed and removed the ring. She looked down at the ring in here hand. It bore a strange symbol. The symbol was a circle that had an "X" shape design in the center. On the outer edge of the circle, at each point where the "X" intersected it, was a smaller circle.

"This is very important," said Marcus, looking at the ring. "When you perform the ritual, you must make sure the ring is inside the pine box with the other items."

"What do we do now?" asked Sara.

"Get out of the cave," said Marcus. "The air should be just about gone. We'll talk more outside."

Sara stepped out of into the field. She hadn't realized how stifling the air inside the sealed cave had been. The fresh air felt good in her lungs.

"Now," said Marcus, "you must safeguard all of the items until the ritual. In two days, you will be able to perform the ritual and then all of your troubles will be over."

"Why can't we do it tonight?" asked Sara.

"My dear girl," said Marcus. "You will learn that some rituals can only be performed at certain times. This is one of those rituals. Two days from now you will get the Book of Shadows and the rest of the items. Then you will bring the items here at eleven p.m. The ritual must be performed precisely at midnight."

"Okay," said Sara. "It won't be the first time I've snuck out of the house at night."

"But it shall be the last," said Marcus. "Now, run along home. I shall see you two days hence."

Marcus watched as Sara rode her bicycle back into town. He had to wait only two more days. Then he would be free at last. And the descendents of those who had murdered him would pay. Every last one of them.

And he would get an added bonus. The girls' power would make a very nice addition to his powers. Plus he would be able to get the powers of the Charmed Ones as well. Once he had taken all of their powers, he would be invincible.

[sweet8]

*Very good; please post some more, soon!

[noazmale]

FOUR

"Phoebe," called Piper from the kitchen, "would you tell Prue dinner is almost ready?"

"Way ahead of you, sis," said Prue, walking into the kitchen.

"Good," said Piper. "Sorry dinner is so late. The inventory at Quake went longer than we had planned."

"No problem," said Prue. "I know how hectic inventory time can be. And it's not the first time we've eaten late."

"Well, I for one am starved," said Phoebe, coming into the kitchen.

Phoebe reached down and picked up a piece of carrot and stuck it into her mouth. Piper smacked here hand and feigned anger. Phoebe just giggled.

"Don't ruin your appetite," chided Piper.

"How long before it's ready?" asked Prue.

"About ten minutes," said Piper, taking a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. She opened the carton and looked inside. "That's strange. There's one egg missing. Did either of you take an egg out of the 'fridge?"

"Not me," said Prue.

"You know I can't cook," said Phoebe. "What would I need an egg for? Say, wasn't Sara supposed to come over today?"

"Yeah," said Piper. "I guess she got tied up with something else. You know what it's like to be a teenager."

"I'll be upstairs for a few," said Prue. "After that fiasco with the power switching spell, I think there should be a warning in the Book of Shadows. So that some future generation is aware it can affect anyone in the room, not just the people it's intended for."

"Good idea," said Phoebe.

"It did help us save Leo," said Piper. "And it also helped us to vanquish that Dark Lighter."

"All the same," said Prue, "anyone who uses that spell should be prepared."

"Don't take too long," said Piper after Prue.

"I won't," said Prue.

Piper continued to finish dinner as Phoebe and she chatted. Suddenly Prue burst into the kitchen. She was very agitated.

"It's gone," announced Prue. "The Book of Shadows is gone from the attic."

"What do you mean gone?" asked Piper.

"Just what I said," said Prue. "Gone, as in not there. And that's not all. You know that athame in the bureau in the attic? The drawer to the bureau was open and the dagger is gone, too."

"The silver ceremonial dagger?" asked Phoebe.

"Yes," said Prue.

"We need to figure out who took the book," said Piper. "In the wrong hands, it could be dangerous."

"I think I know who took it," said Prue, holding up a bracelet.

Piper and Phoebe looked at the bracelet. It was gold and was studded with ruby chips. They both recognized the bracelet. It was Sara's.

"She must have dropped it when she took the book," said Prue. “It kind of makes sense. Evil can’t remove the book. But Sara’s a good witch. She would have no trouble getting it out of the house.”

"Why would Sara take the book?" asked Phoebe.

"First an egg is missing," said Piper. "Now the Book of Shadows and a silver ceremonial dagger are gone. Is anyone else seeing a pattern here?"

"You don't think she's going to try to cast a spell, do you?" asked Phoebe.

"I don't know," said Piper. "If she is, we need to get to her. She has no idea what she's messing with. I haven't even taught her about potion ingredients yet."

"This will give me an excuse to go over to her house," said Phoebe, reaching for the bracelet. "I'll see if she's there and try to get the book back."

As Phoebe took the bracelet out of Prue's hand, a premonition struck her. She saw Sara in a field. Marcus stepped out of a magical energy field and struck Sara down with a lightening attack.

"Not a spell," said Phoebe. "A ritual. One that involves a warlock. And I think it's happening tonight."

"Do you know where she is?" asked Prue.

"Yeah, I think so," said Phoebe. "But we'd better hurry. When the ritual is complete, he's going to kill her. Probably so he can steal her power."

"I'll get the car," said Prue.

Their dinner completely forgotten, the three sisters drove out to the edge of town to protect Sara.

"How did she get mixed up with a warlock?" asked Piper. "She's never mentioned anything about knowing someone else with any powers."

"Maybe she doesn't know he's a warlock," offered Phoebe. "She must still be good otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get the Book of Shadows."

"She's still very young and impressionable," said Prue. "It would be easy for a warlock to confuse her. To make her think she was doing something good when she wasn't. He might have convinced here he's a good witch instead of a warlock."

"They why didn't she even mention him?" asked Piper. "And what kind of ritual would an experienced warlock need with an inexperienced witch?"

"I don't know," said Prue. "We'll have to ask her. Assuming we get there in time."

"Turn here," said Phoebe. "I think it's right up this road."

As Prue turned onto the road, they all saw the glow of the bonfire in the distance. Prue pushed the accelerator to make the car go even faster. Within minutes they reached the site of the ritual. The car slid to a stop and the sisters jumped out.

Sara was standing near the center of a pentagram inside a circle. She held the silver dagger in one hand. Her other hand had a small cut on it. A small table sat in front of Sara. On the table sat a small box and the Book of Shadows. A lit red candle sat at each point of the pentagram. Directly behind the circle was the bonfire.

Standing in the very center of the pentagram was the spirit of Marcus Warren. The sisters recognized him instantly for what he was. As the girls got out of the car, Sara completed the incantation.

The bonfire flared. Everyone watched as mystical energies formed on the outer perimeter of the circle. Flashes of lightning crisscrossed the circle striking the spirit of Marcus.

The resurrection process had begun.

[noazmale]

FIVE

Piper raised her hands and tried to freeze the area. But her power was reflected off the mystical energy surrounding Marcus and Sara. She tried again with the same result.

"I can't freeze it," she called out to Prue.

Prue reached out with her telekinetic ability trying to push Marcus out of the circle. Just as Pipers' power, her telekinetic ability was reflected off the mystical energy.

With no active power, Phoebe picked up a rock on the ground. She threw it as hard as she could directly at Marcus. The rock hit the energy barrier and bounced off harmlessly.

"Nothing seems to penetrate that barrier," said Phoebe. "Not our powers not even anything physical."

"Of course not, witch," said Marcus. "Once begun, nothing can stop the resurrection process. Not even your Power of Three will be of any use to you."

"Sara," screamed Piper. "User your power. Get out of there."

"It will do her no good," snarled Marcus. "Not even her power will allow her to pass the barrier. You can do nothing but stand there and watch as I'm restored to the living.

"I've waited three hundred years for this day. When I am finally resurrected, I'll destroy all of you and take your powers for my own. With them I will be invincible. And the descendents of the coven that burned me will feel my wrath."

Sara looked at the sisters and then at Marcus. This wasn't the benevolent benefactor he had purported to be. His eyes glowed red with power. As the energy continued to charge Marcus, the glow grew brighter.

Sara looked at Marcus and suddenly realized the truth. He was the evil, not the sisters. He had fooled her. He had only pretended to be her friend so that she would resurrect him to spread his evil over the world again.

She had been totally fooled by him. Because of her, this evil warlock would kill her and the Charmed Ones. And there was no telling how many others he would kill. She was responsible and she had to stop him. But she had no idea how to stop him. She looked down at the pine box sitting on the table.

Suddenly the energy around the circle flashed and was gone. Marcus stood where he had before but he was now flesh and blood. The resurrection had worked. He took a deep breath and then turned to face the Charmed Ones.

"In my day," he said with an evil smile, "I was the most powerful of my kind. No one could stand against me. I doubt if the three of you will prove much of a problem."

Marcus reached out his hand toward Phoebe. Instinctively, Phoebe brought her hands up to ward off the attack. But nothing happened. There was no attack. Marcus looked out at his hand.

"My ring," he bellowed, turning on Sara. "Where is my ring?"

Sara glanced down at the ring in her hand and closed her fingers around it. She took several steps backward away from the warlock, holding the ring close to her body. Marcus reached out to grab her.

“Give me the ring," he demanded. "Give it to me and your death will be painless."

"No," screamed Sara as Marcus' hands simply passed through her body. "You lied to me. I trusted you and you lied to me."

Sara turned and ran to the sisters. As she did, Marcus reached out to grab her again. Prue's power flashed and Marcus was cast back to the head of the pentagram. Sara moved behind Piper, and then turned to face Marcus.

"Stay behind us, sweetie," said Piper. "He won't get to you as long as we're here."

"Give me that ring," demanded Marcus, getting to his feet.

"No," said Prue, "you can't have it. If you could take it, you would. I'm betting that's the source of your power."

Marcus' eyes widened in disbelief. This reaction was enough for Prue to be convinced that she was right.

"You wanted my power?" asked Prue. "Here, then. You can have it."

Prues' power flashed. Marcus rose several feet into the air and was flung backward into the bonfire. When his body landed inside the flames, it exploded. The bonfire flared once, and then went out.

"I'll get the book," said Phoebe.

"He fooled me," said Sara, looking at the ring. "I thought he was my friend. When I found out he was evil, I knew I had to stop him. But I didn't know how to stop him. So I reached into the box and pulled out the first thing I touched, hoping it would stop him."

"It's a good thing you did," said Piper. "Without that ring, he didn't have any powers. It made defeating him a lot easier."

"Yeah," said Sara, "but if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have had to fight him. It's my fault all this happened."

"Come on," said Prue, "let's go home. We can talk about it there."

The three of them got into Prues' car. Phoebe returned a few minutes later with the Book of Shadows and the other items Sara had used in the ritual. Prue turned the car around and headed back for the Manor. Piper wrapped a cloth around Sara's hand to staunch the bleeding.

[noazmale]

SIX

"His name was Marcus Warren," Leo explained at the manor. "He was a very powerful warlock about three hundred years ago."

"So he was related to Melinda," said Phoebe.

"No," said Leo. "He was burned at the stake about twenty years before Melinda Warren was born, but they weren't related."

"I guess they didn't make a distinction between witches and warlocks back them," said Prue.

"Actually," said Leo, "he was burned by a coven of good witches." He held up Marcus' ring. "This was how he was able to focus his power. By removing it from the box, Sara, you didn't prevent his resurrection. But you did prevent him from being able to use his magic."

"I just wanted to stop him," said Sara. "It was the first thing I grabbed."

"Marcus Warren had a fondness for young girls," said Leo. "That's how they were able to defeat him. The daughter of a witch pretended to be in love with him. When she had gained his trust, she was able to drug him and steal his ring. After he was burned, his remains were buried, along with this ring to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands."

"Great," said Phoebe. "So he was a warlock and a pedophile. Sounds like a really nice guy."

"So all we have to worry about," said Piper, "is his ghost coming back to try to resurrect him again."

"That's not very likely to happen," said Leo. "The ritual Sara used was very old. It required that a good witch who was a direct descendent of Warrens' perform it. And it will only work if it's performed on the anniversary of his death.

"Besides, the Elders have had his body totally cremated. There was nothing left but ashes. And those ashes were scattered over the ocean. Without a piece of his body for the ritual, he can't be resurrected."

"What about the ring?" asked Prue.

"I'll put it where no one can get at it again," said Leo.

"Why did he need the Book of Shadows?" asked Piper.

"He needed a spell in it," said Sara.

'"A very special spell," said Leo. "It's a spell that unbinds the bound powers of someone. It was supposed to restore his powers to him. That particular spell can only be found in the Book of Shadows."

Sara winced and looked down at the cut on her hand.

"He needed a few drops of my blood for the ritual," said Sara. "I guess it will heal up in a few days."

"Blood is usually needed for a resurrection ritual," said Leo, taking Sara's hand in his own. "It's a sort of catalyst that brings all the elements of the ritual together to create the magic."

A soft yellow glow covered Sara's hand. When Leo pulled his hand away, there was no sign of the cut.

"Are you a witch, too?" asked Sara.

"Not exactly," said Leo, smiling.

"I'm sorry about all the trouble I caused," said Sara. "Marcus said he was my friend. He said that you three were evil witches. He said that all you were interested in was my powers."

"That was him," said Prue. "I think you're going to find that warlocks don't care what lies they tell or who they hurt to get what they want."

"Well," said Sara, "I'm still sorry all the same. And I won't bother you again."

"What do you mean?" asked Phoebe.

"After what I did," said Sara, "you probably don't ever want to see me again."

"That would make it kind of hard to teach you how to use your powers for good," said Piper.

"But I lied to you," said Sara. "I stole from you. I almost got you all killed. And I took the Book of Shadows after you told me not to mess with it. I can't imagine you'd ever want me around after all that."

"Sara, sweetie," said Phoebe, "you made a mistake. That's all. Maybe you did the wrong things, but you did them for the right reasons. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes."

"Some witch I'm going to make," said Sara. "I was fooled by a warlock. I guess that just makes me a dumb kid."

"Not necessarily," said Prue, smiling and looking at Piper. "It's not the first time something like that has happened."

"What do you mean?" asked Sara.

"Oh, not much," said Piper. "Just that when we first got our powers, my boyfriend turned out to be a warlock who tried to kill me and steal my powers, that's all. So being fooled by a warlock isn't something you should be worried too much about. You're in good company."

"Sara, you're our friend," said Prue. "And friends don't desert each other just because they make a mistake. Like Phoebe said, the important thing is that you learn from your mistakes."

"So, you'll still teach me how to be a witch?" asked Sara.

"I believe I promised to teach you about potion ingredients," said Piper. "I hope you have a good memory. There's a lot to learn about making a potion."

"Thank you," said Sara. "I'll try not to disappoint you again."

"You haven't disappointed us," said Piper. "Just be careful who you trust from now on. Not everyone really wants to be your friend."

"You sound like my mom," said Sara. "Speaking of which, I'd better be getting home. It's really late."

"I'll take her," said Leo. "I can get her into the house a lot quieter than her trying to sneak in."

Leo took Sara's hand and orbed them out of the manor.

"Well," said Piper, "I don't even have to look to know that dinner is ruined. I suppose there's enough leftovers to throw something together."

"Great," said Phoebe. "I'm still starved."

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, www.geocities.com/killeenmale/ . You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction.